Lions will struggle to defend title in 2003.

[Stocka]

I believe that the Lions will face an increasingly tougher task to defend their dual Premierships in season 2003. Not only have a number of competitors improved their lists with handy pick-ups in trades, but also, the Lions seem to lack players who will provide an "addition" on the teams of previous years.

In 2001, we had the additions of Pike, Michael, and 'The Guvna' (who only managed a few games in 2000), who proved to be significant players in the transformation from finalists to champions (also match this with the increased performance of players such as C.Johnson and B.Scott).

Likewise, in 2002, B.Scott further emerged as a top-line contributor for the club, and D.Headland barnstormed the league with his immitable style. The club has held trump card(s) of competition for the last two years running, yet, this doesn't seem to be the case heading into 2003.

We have given up Cupido, who looked the most likely out of those not in the 2002 side, who could make a Headland-esque impact in the following season. R.Hadley could be a prospect, but possibly lacks the physical development of the likes of Headland and Cupido.

Port Adelaide, with the addition of B.Pickett, will once again be out to push for the flag (maybe they won't make the same mistakes of 2001 and 2002). Collingwood, with the addition of S.Woewodin will once again prove to be a tough, dogged team. Adelaide, with the addition of W.Carey and R.Burns will display the most formidable forward combination in the league, being fed by one of the best midfields. Even Richmond, if they can keep their talls on the park, will benefit from having picked up a few bigger midfielders who could team well together. Likewise, I tend to think that WCE will prove to be one of the teams on the rise.

We will need to be even better than in previous years, to pull off three-in-a-row, IMO.

 

[adey115]

Two who I expect to go up a notch next year:

Poss
Ferret

 

[SpecialBruce]

Before we start thinking about the future, we should look at the delistings whenever the club does them and look at the playing list.

We have a playing list of 35 at the moment. 3 rookies in Weller, Raines and Maplestone. 2 of them will be elevated and one will stay on the rookie list.

That will bring our list to 37. Who is eligible to be on the veterans list now? If 2 players are, there is no need to delist unless the club wants to. If one player is we have to delist someone and in this case probably either Bolton or Morrison.

IMO, there will probably be only one more delisting and we will be set.

 

[Haggis McHaggis]

Ports trade sheet reads strikingly like the tale of Brisbane in recent times.. sure up the backline with some hard hitting, experienced talent, a streamlined and very strong looking ruck combination and the midfield to back it up..
It'll be interesting to see what Caracella gives us through HF.. I'm tipping him to kick quite a few goals next season.. his ability to free up and get into the forward 50 should give us an extra potency in attack.
As previously noted we also have some young players who should step up a notch.. Jamie Charman's another I'm tipping for a big season.. his marking is fantastic and a bit of forward line work could well benefit him and the team in the future with Lynchy in his swansong year.
I don't know about struggling, we're still a high quality outfit.. but your right.. the competitions going to be a lot harder.

 

[BrisGirl]

Admittedly, the boys will have to have a hard mind set, because everyone, and I mean everyone in the Competition, will play their games against us like it is the Grand Final.

Nothing like playing a Grand Final every weekend.

Of course, every Club is going to set out like world beaters, and especially the Clubs that have done some heavy spending, but don't forget, there are new people, (with egos), in new Clubs, trying to find their nitch, in a highly competitive environment and having to prove themselves. Sometimes that doesn't make for a warm and comfortable place.

No doubt it is going to be hard, but you never know, the boys were slow to start last year and we all know what happened there.

All I know, is that if the boys can get through 2003 injury free, are a very good chance to be in the top four, and once they are in that position....well, I would back us anytime.

 

[kimp]

I'm with you Brisgirl. We just have to make the top 4.

Hopefully Akka picks up his game, Lappin has a full season, Vossy uses his time off wisely resting anc Caracella fits in nicely. Then I think we really will be in the mix. Not forgetting that a consistent season from Whitey woudl be good.

Collingwood made it to the GF with no stand out consistent players (Buckley wasn't consistant). We have far more talent in our guys.

 

[keatings_gal]

true true kimp............

 

[roostersgal4eva]

Originally posted by kimp
I'm with you Brisgirl. We just have to make the top 4.

Hopefully Akka picks up his game, Lappin has a full season, Vossy uses his time off wisely resting anc Caracella fits in nicely. Then I think we really will be in the mix. Not forgetting that a consistent season from Whitey woudl be good.

Collingwood made it to the GF with no stand out consistent players (Buckley wasn't consistant). We have far more talent in our guys.

agreed 100% kimp

injuries are the key - we continue to be injury free & we can win the flag

 

[keatings_gal]

id love to see my mate leppa have a pearler..........

 

[SpecialBruce]

Mick will have a blinder next year, and not in the reserves.

 

[keatings_gal]

yeah mate....

i hope so too.

 

[Maverick]

Port are definately the most dangerous threat to us.

Their forward line is the key. Treadrea had a blinder of a year, Cornes finished very stongly, Dew is dangerous, and the Burgoyne brothers are handy.

They have a sound midfield.

They have recruited well up back over the past couple of years, picking up Wakelin, Hardwick and now Pickett.

We must again improve in 2003 if we are to go back to back to back.

 

[SpecialBruce]

Maverick, log on. And what you just said is totally true. But Port can't win finals, so they can't possibly be a threat.

 

[irish]

show some faith for christ sake !! carracella for one is going to be kean as mustard to show the dons how good he is .then there is charman doesnt he have motivation !! with our home ground advantage and the best squad in the afl as well as the best coach give the boys some credit or should we not bother turning up at all !!!!! it will be hard no question and so it should be but we are up to it barring injuries look out september here we come .
the port chockers may have improved their list so what !!let em come we will be ready for them

 

[keatings_gal]

yeah irish... no one else has any chance.. that's the way i see it...
someone told me yesterday that sydney r gonna win it in 2006 & i said,... well we will win it every year until then & i reckon we can do it...

 

[irish]

thats the girl,finaly someone with spunk !!! go lions dont ya hate negative people ? we won 2 in a row being and playing positive how about we support them and not be profits of doom !!!

 

[DaveW]

To my reckoning, the fact that the senior players were willing to take pay cuts to stay with the side shows that the hunger hasn't dissapeared. Brisbane will be a force to be reckoned with in 2003, they've raised the bar and its up to the other sides to lift to their standards to match the Lions. Not the other way around.

 

[fugitive]

Originally posted by irish
thats the girl,finaly someone with spunk !!! go lions dont ya hate negative people ? we won 2 in a row being and playing positive how about we support them and not be profits of doom !!!

I agree I still feel Lions have a number of players who can go up a notch including 2002 Brownlow medallist Simon Black who is still 23 & Jonathan Brown who didn make a big contribution this year
& I still feel man - man Lions will still be the toughest team to beat.

In the end injury is the key to success for Lions in 2003 as someone pointed out, everything else is conquerable

 

[keatings_gal]

good onya IRISH!... a bit of SPUNK hey??????& now we have a bit of skunk... LOL... they say that is definatley his nickname....

it is still weird to me that we have won one... so to have won one.. it is like we can just go on forever & i hope that we can & believe that he have the personell to do it.... & the drafting of players in the not too distant past has been good if you ask me with piking up the likes of richie hadley & Ash Mcgrath & i know that jarrad & jason will be good for the club in the future...

LETS GO LIONS

 

[Roylion]

I'm confident, barring a bad run with injuries, that the Lions can make the Top 4. However, having said that, there are several things that I wouldn't be surprised happened next year.

* Port Adelaide to be established as clear favorites for the flag early in the season. Their team on paper looks to have improved even further. Adelaide are another who could go all the way.

* St Kilda to make further improvement in their ladder position. I don't think they'll make the eight, but they should be challenging for a spot in the eight for most of the year.

* Richmond to make a significant improvement next season. Last season they had a fairly ordinary run with injuries to their talls and with the addition of a fit Ben Holland and Kane Johnson in the midfield, should improve a few places.

* Western Bulldogs to possibly take the wooden spoon. I'd hate to see it, but I think that on paper, their list is really going to struggle.

* Carlton to NOT finish on the bottom of the ladder.

* Essendon to be touch and go for most of the season as to whether they will make the finals. If not for Lloyd, I'd be tempted to say they definitely won't.

* Fremantle to scrape into the finals for the first time. They won't get far.

* The Top 4 to be pretty much the same as this year. Port Adelaide, Adelaide, Collingwood and Brisbane.

* The five to eight positions to be filled by four of the following eight teams (in no particular order) Essendon, Fremantle, Melbourne, West Coast, Sydney, Hawthorn, Richmond and/or St Kilda.

 

[keatings_gal]

sure carlton can finish on the bottom,,,,,,,,,,,
i hate them
they annoyed me for so long always beating us & always haveing their game televised on TV when i was younger,... that's why i hated the game when i was young.. it wasnt that i hated the game.. it was just that i hated kernahan & he would wear his stupid tight little blue shorts & walk around like he had a stick holding him up straight & i would just turn off the tele.....

NOW IT IS OUR TURN........ THEY CAN SUFFER!!!!!!!!

 

[Stocka]

Originally posted by Maverick
We must again improve in 2003 if we are to go back to back to back.

I agree, although, it's hard to see where that level of improvement is going to come from on a Headland-esque scale.

I expect Shattock, Charman, McGrath and one or two of the others to continue to develop nicely. However, I tend to think we'll need more than that to stop other clubs from catching up to us.

 

[OldLion]

I think we actually didn't really play that well in 2002 - very sluggish, annoying injuries, close losses ( I think I'm watching too much Fox Footy ) and players like Brown, Notting and Bradshaw not really stepping up .. and of course EVERY game was game of the round.

For our young guys, it seems that pre-season holds the key. To really get fit, bulk up and start running and get noticed. Hope that Copeland and Shattock step up, and of course Charman. It was great to see him take strong contested marks.

Port, Crows and Pies have kept their lists together and slotted a few in so they'll be tough again. But I'm still savouring knocking off the Pies in a GF.

 

[Stocka]

Hopefully Notting is played on a wing, and develops into a regular in that spot. That could be one area in which we improve next season.

 

[Slax]

The only thing I want to know is this:

If Brisbane is to struggle in 2003, who will take the step up.

Collingwood out performed anything that anyone thought they would do and I think will struggle to refind the form they showed this season.

Port have a definite weakness when it comes to finals footy.

Adelaide are a definite threat. With Carey in the forward line will be the team to beat I think.

Essendon are gone. This season showed up all their weaknesses and they are obviously very reliant on a couple of players.

The rest just don't look like being there.

I'd back a Brisbane Adelaide GF now if I had the chance.